Top 10 Dennis Rodman Cards

Dennis Rodman is a lot of things. Although it seems the off-court Rodman overshadowed the athlete, first and foremost, Dennis Rodman is a basketball player. Never one to avoid the spotlight, he became infamous for his bizarre behavior, celebrity romances, and crazy fashion choices. Who can forget the many tattoos, piercings, and his fondness for dyeing his hair? "The Worm," as he was known, followed his own path and his own rules. Over time, collectors developed a fondness for the feisty forward, making Dennis Rodman cards one of the most popular options among retired basketball players.

Dennis Rodman played college basketball at two small schools, Cooke County College and Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Despite not being well-known as an NBA prospect, Rodman was impressive during pre-draft workouts and he was selected early in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He fit in well with the tough defensive mindset that the team was known for during this period. Although his game had offensive limitations, his rebounding and defense played a key role on the team and they regularly competed deep into the playoffs. Detroit would go on to win the NBA title in 1989 and 1990.
Although the Dennis Rodman we know today had not fully emerged, something was changing in Rodman. After a rough divorce and disappointing 1992-93 season for the Pistons, Rodman was done with Detroit and demanded a trade. San Antonio was his next destination and this is where the transformation began to show itself. Outbursts became more common and he experimented with his hair color. The Spurs were unable to claim a championship and management began to grow tired of his behavior. Just two seasons after joining the Spurs, Dennis Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago was the peak of the Dennis Rodman phenomenon. The Bulls would win three championships with Rodman working the boards. Despite the popularity and star power of teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman's antics regularly kept him in the forefront. The three players were NBA rockstars and fans lined up to see them wherever they played. When the team was disbanded following Michael Jordan's second retirement, Rodman was still interested in playing. He would play short stints for the Lakers and Mavericks before leaving the NBA for the ABA, a semi-pro league. Rodman wrapped up his basketball career playing in Finland and the United Kingdom.

Looking back, the achievement list for Dennis Rodman is long and varied. In basketball, he won five NBA titles and was a seven-time rebounding champion, averaging at least 14.9 rebounds per game in each of those years. Rodman was also two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time NBA All-Star, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Outside of basketball, Dennis Rodman kept busy. He dated Madonna and briefly married Carmen Electra. He wrote an autobigraphy, Bad As I Wanna Be, during the 1995-96 season and promoted the book by appearing at an event in a white wedding dress. Utilizing his personality and athleticism, Rodman was a part-time professional wrestler and starred on the big screen in Simon Sez and Double Trouble alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. Later, he would take his talents to the small screen, appearing in many programs, notably Celebrity Apprentice, The Mole, and Celebrity Big Brother. Most recently, Dennis Rodman has developed a friendship with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un.

Dennis Rodman is easily one of the most famous basketball players who is still more known for his non-basketball pursuits. It is this variety of interests that allows him to have a diverse group of collectors. The following list includes ten of the best Dennis Rodman cards for collectors to own. In all honesty, this list could be comprised solely of late-1990s inserts or just Exquisite Autographs. However, the list includes a wide variety of cards from several price points.

Additionally, Dennis Rodman has signed plenty of cards for products in recent years, so his autographs are not generally hard to track down. Although not included on the list, a great budget option for autograph collectors is one ofhis Leaf autographs.

Top Dennis Rodman Cards

This card marks a much more low-key existence for Dennis Rodman. Although he was drafted in 1986, Rodman would not get his first rookie card until 1988-89 Fleer. The design is vey plain and centering issues are a problem.

Just like Dennis Rodman, 1993-94 Finest was a flashy and colorful creation that had never been seen before. Although shocking at first, collectors have grown to love both Finest and Rodman. The card image shows the huge difference that a change of scenery and a few years made for Rodman. The Refractor parallels are very popular.

1996-97 Flair Showcase brought a level of quality that few brands could match. The images were well-chosen, the finish was clear and the card stock was above average. Each base card features multiple "Rows," so there are basically three base cards per player, each with a different image. The real appeal from this product is the Legacy parallel for each Row, which is numbered to 150, and shown on the right.

These rare inserts are some of the most popular options from late-90s basketball inserts. The die-cut design, unique name and long odds make this a top option among Dennis Rodman cards. The average card from the 15-card set is found 1:720 packs.

Another rare insert that has seen values skyrocket, Precious Metal Gems is a parallel that has few rivals in the collecting world. The main red version has a total print run of 90 and goes nicely with the Chicago Bulls jersey. There is also a green version which is limited to only ten cards.

Autographics marked a turning point in collecting and many years later, they still carry tremendous clout in the industry. The clean design pairs a image of Dennis Rodman with a blurred background, large Skybox seal and on-card signature. The Century Marks parallel (#/100) is pictured below.

Although many basketball inserts from the 1990s have achieved a high-regard amongst collectors, read a complete list here, Noyz Boyz was a very unique idea. The name, the bold color, and the die-cut design, all helped distinguish it from other cards. If any player deserved inclusion amongst the Noyz Boyz, it was Dennis Rodman. Dropping at 1:300 packs, on average, these cards do not pop up often.

One of the few current Dennis Rodman cards that has seen strong demand, the Silhouettes found in 2012-13 Preferred were very well-received by collectors. With the prime version totaling only 10 cards, these jumbo patch cards feature an on-card signature. There is a base version of the card that includes a plain single-color swatch that is numbered to #/15.

Sure, this might be the easy way out. There are just a large amount of Exquisite autographs for Dennis Rodman, and they are all low-numbered and very popular. Exquisite owned high-end basketball for several years and there is nothing else that can compete from that time period.

This particular Exquisite autograph deserves special recognition because it pairs Rodman with his former teammate, Michael Jordan. While Jordan was the face of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, Dennis Rodman was the hair. There are several other autographed cards that include the former teammates, some include Scottie Pippen too, but all are rare.

Trey Treutel

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Trey Treutel is an Ole Miss grad and a lifelong sports fanatic. He is a huge fan of the NBA and NFL, as well as soccer, college basketball and college football. As a kid, he collected football and basketball cards. As an adult, he started collecting basketball cards again on a whim and has since expanded to other sports and entertainment options. Find Trey on Twitter at @datreute.